Harbin, Dec, 12.
Harbin 1s at present experiencing
joon seen for many years, and on were frosty weather such a8 has no! some days the wind is so bitingly cold that It Is dimeult to face It. As result of the severe frost, com munication on the railway lines has been interfered with considerably. Ralle have cracked In many places, making it necessary for train drivers to be very careful, 'On the Eastern line a goods train' was derailed owing to the frost, ths holding up the passenger train from the Eastern frontier about 30 hours, while on the Western line an express from. Manchuli arrived here eight hours late, Even the well laid South-fern line did not escape, as defects were discovered which ' necessitated the "Asia express waiting until the Vine was. repaired.
Tu Harbin itself the cold has been as severe as on the lines, this causing great demand for fuel at advancing prices. Landlords of houses which fre steam heated, find that their ex-enses will exceed those of last winter by a large amount and tenants who have stoves find their coal bill about twice as high as last season. The frost also Interferes with motor cars and buses, great, care having to be token that" the water in the cylinder does not freeze.
The heavy snow fall of two weeks ago covered the country, making excellent ronds for cartage of beans and wheat to the railway stations—this In direct contrast to last year, wher, in December there was warm weather and roads were almost im-Passable, Country people declare that the cold will remain for at least a month and that in January it will be colder than now.
"The severe frosts at night have caught many of the poorer classes of the city, almost every night some son OF persons being frozen death. If not frozen to death, many have had fingers or toes frozen, in many cases necessitating amputation. The police authorities are taking, measures, and person seen ly= Instantly at-it to sleep on the street benches at night would mean death as the frost runs to more than 30 degrees Centigrade. So. far the cold has not interfered with the aeroplane services and the malls are being carried as usual.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.